And the labels continue to screw over the vast majority of their customers in trying to manipulate the market by allowing Amazon and Napster to sell DRM-free music and not allowing Apple to do the same with iTunes.
Wrong. Just flat out wrong. Jobs publicly proclaimed that DRM needs to die. And one of the major label executives was quoted as saying they were happy to keep Apple locked in DRM for awhile to allow their competitors a little catch-up time. This is a deliberate attempt by the labels to try to knock some points off Apple's market share. It's anti-competitive and it's sleazy.
This "Apple wants to lock you in with DRM" chestnut is complete rubbish - just more FUD from the traditional Apple-hating horde. If the media companies would allow it, Apple would go DRM-free on every single song they sell. Right now. Today.
Quix, you poor misguided fool. Apple gets as much or more from the DRM on iTunes tracks as the labels get. They get every one of the customers who buys the vast majority of tracks from iTMS being locked into the iPod family (if they don't want to transcode to mp3 or break the DRM, which most people don't even know is possible).
As far as the "anti-competitive" actions of the labels in giving the vast majority of their DRM-free tracks to Apple's competitors, you do know the extremely powerful market position that Apple holds, don't you? If Apple wanted to force the issue, they could, and the labels wouldn't have a choice (or they could remove their music like NBC, but I don't think they are in the position to take that action). Apple likes the situation the way it is, and they will change it when they have no choice (because Amazon, Napster, etc. are taking a meaningful chunk of their marketshare).
Wallow in your Apple-hating ignorance if you must. Just don't pretend you know what you're talking about.
"Convincing them to license their music to Apple and others DRM-free will create a truly interoperable music marketplace. Apple will embrace this wholeheartedly." - Steve Jobs
You two are misguided for reasons that have little to do with the facts.
FACT: Apple originally wanted to sell DRM-free music, but only added DRM because the labels would not sell without it (and Apple needed a store). Google "steve jobs rolling stone". QUOTE from JOBS: "When we first went to talk to these record companies -- you know, it was a while ago. It took us 18 months. And at first we said: None of this technology that you're talking about's gonna work. We have Ph.D.'s here, that know the stuff cold, and we don't believe it's possible to protect digital content. --No one's gonna shut down the Internet. And it only takes one stolen copy to be on the Internet. And the way we expressed it to them is: Pick one lock -- open every door. It only takes one person to pick a lock. Worst case: Somebody just takes the analog outputs of their CD player and rerecords it -- puts it on the Internet. You'll never stop that. So what you have to do is compete with it."
FACT: Microsoft "opened" up its "ecosystem", and it only proliferated DRM everywhere, and caused the problems Apple foresaw, to the point where Microsoft is now "killing off" support for people that need to reauthorize music they've purchased in the future (if they change machines, etc). Check out the recent stories on the MSN music servers.
FACT: Apple would GLADLY sell music without DRM, because they use their store as a loss-leader (they are now selling digital movies at a $1 per sale loss). Apple knows that they have other "controls" on retaining customers, like their brand, ease-of-use solutions, and cultural strangle-hold. Not to mention their patents and arrangements like the Made-for-iPod program. If it makes it easier on consumers to use their products (and they sell more hardware through that reason) Apple is for it.
FACT: Apple TRIED to "force" the issue. Don't you remember? They made their huge announcement with EMI and offered it to all of their other partners. Universal snubbed them, and everyone else began to realize that they could use this as a lever. --Only, Apple still wins. If all the other stores become iPod compatible, and still require people to load their iPods through some joint solution with iTunes... Apple wins. Apple would not have created iTunes if ease-to-use solutions had already existed. They felt they could do it better.
FACT: Apple would even make FREE non-DRM music and content available through iTunes if they could... oh, hang on a minute... they already DO! They're called podcasts, and you can move them wherever you like. "Foot-traffic" is king, and creating barriers discourages consumer usage and the entire "ease of use" experience.
The music industry needs to sell DRM-Free music EVERYWHERE. People will continue to buy from iTunes regardless, and they're only creating more and more buyers that are "locked in" to DRM. Apple has left the door open for more new "iTunes Plus" partners to see the light. They only need to walk into it. It's moronic.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
brad @ May 20th 2008 10:55AM
now this is a tempting switch from itunes
ugahairydawgs @ May 20th 2008 11:34AM
As opposed to Amazon?
Quix @ May 20th 2008 12:06PM
And the labels continue to screw over the vast majority of their customers in trying to manipulate the market by allowing Amazon and Napster to sell DRM-free music and not allowing Apple to do the same with iTunes.
To their attempt to screw me, I reply: screw you.
John @ May 20th 2008 12:23PM
@quix. I think it is more about Apple locking you into their ecosystem than the music industry not wanting to sell music.
The fact is, if there is no reason to stay locked into iTunes, then other media players seem a lot better than the iPod family.
Quix @ May 20th 2008 12:53PM
@ John:
Wrong. Just flat out wrong. Jobs publicly proclaimed that DRM needs to die. And one of the major label executives was quoted as saying they were happy to keep Apple locked in DRM for awhile to allow their competitors a little catch-up time. This is a deliberate attempt by the labels to try to knock some points off Apple's market share. It's anti-competitive and it's sleazy.
This "Apple wants to lock you in with DRM" chestnut is complete rubbish - just more FUD from the traditional Apple-hating horde. If the media companies would allow it, Apple would go DRM-free on every single song they sell. Right now. Today.
0megapart!cle @ May 20th 2008 1:02PM
Quix, you poor misguided fool. Apple gets as much or more from the DRM on iTunes tracks as the labels get. They get every one of the customers who buys the vast majority of tracks from iTMS being locked into the iPod family (if they don't want to transcode to mp3 or break the DRM, which most people don't even know is possible).
As far as the "anti-competitive" actions of the labels in giving the vast majority of their DRM-free tracks to Apple's competitors, you do know the extremely powerful market position that Apple holds, don't you? If Apple wanted to force the issue, they could, and the labels wouldn't have a choice (or they could remove their music like NBC, but I don't think they are in the position to take that action). Apple likes the situation the way it is, and they will change it when they have no choice (because Amazon, Napster, etc. are taking a meaningful chunk of their marketshare).
Quix @ May 20th 2008 1:11PM
@ 0megapart!cle:
Wallow in your Apple-hating ignorance if you must. Just don't pretend you know what you're talking about.
"Convincing them to license their music to Apple and others DRM-free will create a truly interoperable music marketplace. Apple will embrace this wholeheartedly." - Steve Jobs
http://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughtsonmusic/
Dudley @ May 20th 2008 1:27PM
Megaparticle, John,
Quix is completely correct.
You two are misguided for reasons that have little to do with the facts.
FACT: Apple originally wanted to sell DRM-free music, but only added DRM because the labels would not sell without it (and Apple needed a store). Google "steve jobs rolling stone". QUOTE from JOBS: "When we first went to talk to these record companies -- you know, it was a while ago. It took us 18 months. And at first we said: None of this technology that you're talking about's gonna work. We have Ph.D.'s here, that know the stuff cold, and we don't believe it's possible to protect digital content. --No one's gonna shut down the Internet. And it only takes one stolen copy to be on the Internet. And the way we expressed it to them is: Pick one lock -- open every door. It only takes one person to pick a lock. Worst case: Somebody just takes the analog outputs of their CD player and rerecords it -- puts it on the Internet. You'll never stop that. So what you have to do is compete with it."
FACT: Microsoft "opened" up its "ecosystem", and it only proliferated DRM everywhere, and caused the problems Apple foresaw, to the point where Microsoft is now "killing off" support for people that need to reauthorize music they've purchased in the future (if they change machines, etc). Check out the recent stories on the MSN music servers.
FACT: Apple would GLADLY sell music without DRM, because they use their store as a loss-leader (they are now selling digital movies at a $1 per sale loss). Apple knows that they have other "controls" on retaining customers, like their brand, ease-of-use solutions, and cultural strangle-hold. Not to mention their patents and arrangements like the Made-for-iPod program. If it makes it easier on consumers to use their products (and they sell more hardware through that reason) Apple is for it.
FACT: Apple TRIED to "force" the issue. Don't you remember? They made their huge announcement with EMI and offered it to all of their other partners. Universal snubbed them, and everyone else began to realize that they could use this as a lever. --Only, Apple still wins. If all the other stores become iPod compatible, and still require people to load their iPods through some joint solution with iTunes... Apple wins. Apple would not have created iTunes if ease-to-use solutions had already existed. They felt they could do it better.
FACT: Apple would even make FREE non-DRM music and content available through iTunes if they could... oh, hang on a minute... they already DO! They're called podcasts, and you can move them wherever you like. "Foot-traffic" is king, and creating barriers discourages consumer usage and the entire "ease of use" experience.
The music industry needs to sell DRM-Free music EVERYWHERE. People will continue to buy from iTunes regardless, and they're only creating more and more buyers that are "locked in" to DRM. Apple has left the door open for more new "iTunes Plus" partners to see the light. They only need to walk into it. It's moronic.